Rising star Noone sets sights on reaching the highest level

GALWAY minor ladies football captain, Hannah Noone, may come across as a modest and humble country girl of just 18 years but, underneath all that, is a fierce competitor with a burning ambition to succeed – on and off the field.

As one of the rising stars of ladies football, Noone has already displayed this trait. With Galway, she captained the U16 side to All-Ireland glory two years ago (having won an All-Ireland at the same grade the previous year) while, in her short career in the Kilkerrin/Clonberne senior jersey, she has yielded three county and two Connacht titles.

Her time in secondary school has been no different, Noone playing a key role in driving on Glenamaddy Community School to an All-Ireland PPS Senior ‘B’ crown with victory over Presentation Thurles in 2018. Alongside her that day were her sisters, Lynsey and Eva.

Indeed, the three Noone sisters have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and, in many respects, their influence in bending games to their will is not unlike that which the McGrath sisters in Sarsfields and Galway camogie also seem to possess.

The bigger the challenge the better and, with this in mind, Hannah expresses her regret that she will not get to sit her Leaving Cert. exams this summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was something she would have embraced.

“Yeah, it is quite disappointing not to be able to sit it as every other person is able to say they did the Leaving Cert.,” begins Noone. “But I am not missing the stress or anything of the exams. They should be on right now, really, but I’m not too worried, to be honest. I think it will work out in our favour, whatever happens.”

Indeed, Noone did receive some good news in the last week when it was announced that she is one of the first recipients of an ECC Timber Products sports scholarship which, potentially, is worth €10,000. It’s a pleasant surprise.

“It’s great,” she beams. “I was disappointed the last few weeks because I had applied for some scholarships and I hadn’t got them. Then, my mam (Linda) told me I had got this one and I was delighted. It is there for the next four years so I know I’ll have something whatever college I go to. I am extremely thankful to PJ Fahy.”

At the moment, biomedical science at NUI Galway is her first choice on her CAO form but, with no Leaving Cert. exams, that is now out of her hands. “Hopefully I can get that. I’m still not quite sure what I want to do but I do know my best subjects in school would be science, maths and chemistry. So, I will be going into that area anyway, I’d say.”

Whatever direction her education takes, it will not distract her in her pursuit of sporting excellence. A versatile player who is as effective in the backs as she is in the forwards, she remains hopeful that minor inter-county football can be concluded in 2020.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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